Washington: In a major setback to Hafiz Saeed’s political ambitions, the US has designated the Milli Muslim League (MML), the political front of Pakistan-based Mumbai attack mastermind-led Jamaat-ud Dawa, as a foreign terrorist organisation. In a simultaneous move, seven members of the MML’s central leadership body have been designated as foreign terrorists.
The US also added Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Kashmir (TAJK) to the list of terrorist groups. TAJK is said to be a front of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which according to the Trump administration, continues to operate freely inside Pakistan.
The move comes a day after the Election Commission of Pakistan asked the MML to produce a clearance certificate by the interior ministry for its registration as a political party. Pakistan’s election commission had earlier rejected the MML’s application for registration as a political party after the interior ministry objected to its ties to banned militant outfits. The State Department said the move was aimed at denying the LeT resources it needed to plan and carry out further terrorist attacks.
“Both MML and TAJK are LeT fronts created to circumvent the sanctions against it (LeT)...Today’s amendments take aim at LeT’s efforts to circumvent sanctions and deceive the public about its true character,” said Nathan A Sales, Coordinator for Counter-terrorism at the Department of State.
“Make no mistake: whatever LeT chooses to call itself, it remains a violent terrorist group. The US supports all efforts to ensure that LeT does not have a political voice until it gives up violence as a tool of influence,” Sales said.
Among other consequences of the designations, LeT’s property and interests in property subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US people are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the group. “LeT continues to operate freely within Pakistan, holding public rallies, raising funds, and plotting and training for terrorist attacks,” the State Department said.
The LeT was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group on December 26, 2001. Its leader, Saeed, is also designated as a SDGT. To avoid sanctions, the LeT had repeatedly changed its name over the years, the State Department alleged.
In January 2017, the LeT began operating under the name TAJK. Under this name, the LeT has engaged in inciting terrorism, as well as recruiting and fundraising. In August 2017, Saeed created the MML to serve as a political front for the group. “LeT members make up MML’s leadership and the so-called party openly displays Saeed’s likeness in its election banners and literature,” the State Department said. Today’s actions notify the US public and the international community that TAJK and MML are aliases of the LeT. Terrorism designations expose and isolate organisations and individuals, and deny them access to the US financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law-enforcement activities of US agencies and other governments.
The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. It was declared as an FTO by the US in June 2014.
